July 13, 2015 (New York, NY) – “Young, gifted, major talent” is how the St. Louis Dispatch described Johannes Moser, and the cellist continues his steady rise with an exclusive recording contract with Pentatone. For his debut with the label, Moser has recorded two staples of the Romantic cello repertoire – the cello concertos of Dvořák and Lalo – with the Prague Philharmonia and Jakub Hrůša. 

The September 11^th release of Moser’s Pentatone debut comes just as he prepares for a significant series of North American orchestral engagements throughout the 2015-16 season.  Kicking off with an appearance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, summer and fall 2015 will see Moser with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Saratoga and Philadelphia, Cleveland Orchestra in Miami, NAC Orchestra Ottawa and the Ft. Wayne Philharmonic. In early 2016, he performs with Chicago, Boston, Vancouver, Nashville and San Diego Symphony Orchestras.  Complete dates are below.

Moser is no stranger to the recording studio.  His “solid discography” (The Arts Fuse, Boston) covers a wide breadth of composers, and has garnered much critical acclaim, including two ECHO Klassik awards for his recordings on Hänssler Classics. His concerto debut disc, which features the complete works of Saint-Saëns for cello and orchestra with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, was also honored as one of Classics Today’s Top 10 CDs of the year. Following an album of works by Britten, Bridge and Bax, a “superb new recording of concertos” (San Jose Mercury News) of Martinů, Hindemith and Honegger concerti received great acclaim and was listed for the prestigious “Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik”.

Dvořák & Lalo Cello Concertos begins with the monumental work of Dvořák’s, which explores the entire spectrum of human emotion, very much inspired by his own experiences, ranging from exhilarating bursts of life in New York City to the devastating tragedy of his unfulfilled love. In preparation for the recording, made with the PKF - Prague Philharmonia, Johannes Moser and conductor Jakub Hrůša had Dvořák's own manuscript at hand in order to come closer to the composer's intention rather than relying on unquestioned traditions and acquired habits, while paying tribute to the concerto's nickname, "Dvořák's 10th Symphony”.  When he performed this concerto live in 2011 with the New World Symphony, the South Florida Classical Review hailed Moser’s “near-perfect intonation” calling the performance “outstanding.”

Moser completes his Pentatone debut album with the Cello Concerto by Édouard Lalo. It is a work of great verve which fully embodies Spanish flair combined with romantic spirit. Moser says about the two concerti: “The unifying motif between these two Cello Concertos is a sense of yearning: From America, Dvořák yearned for his homeland and an unfulfilled love, whereas Lalo yearned for the typically Spanish flair and the Mediterranean temperament.”

About Johannes Moser
Hailed by Gramophone Magazine as “one of the finest among the astonishing gallery of young virtuoso cellists”, German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser has performed with the world’s leading orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic and Israel Philharmonic Orchestras as well as the Chicago Symphony, London Symphony, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw, Tokyo Symphony, Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras.

In 2014 Johannes made his auspicious and lauded debut at Carnegie Hall, performing Shostakovich’s staggering Cello Concerto no. 1, and the New York Times proclaimed, “Moser… brought the house down.”

Johannes grows increasingly renowned for his efforts in expanding the reach of the classical genre, as well has his passionate focus on new music, and over the next season, Johannes is looking forward to working on a number of new works with Julia Wolfe, Andrew Norman and Anna Clyne, amongst others.

Johannes is committed to reaching out to young audiences, from kindergarten to college and beyond. From his 2010 American tour with toy pianist Phyllis Chen “Sounding Off: A Fresh Look at Classical Music”, to outreach activities on campuses and performances in alternative venues, Johannes aims to present classical music in terms with which listeners of all ages can connect. For more details about Dvořák & Lalo Cello Concertos and Johannes Moser’s upcoming concert appearances, please visit www.johannes-moser.com.